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Deregistered

This is going to be a downhearted subject. But I feel it is necessary to talk about this topic, because most of us will be thrown this situation one day. When that happens, most of us will be caught off guard and make flawed decisions that we will regret for life.

For example, someone very dear has contacted terminal illness and the days are numbered. Would you be very frank and tell the patient about the prognosis?

Yes.
Because, the life belongs to the patient and he/she has every right to live the remaining days the way he/she wants.
When you tell, you will feel better because you have discharge the burden of making decisions for the patients life. On the other hand, you have pronounced death sentence to the patient who has been fighting so hard and bravely to stay alive. The dear one has to bear the burden now when you decided to put it down.

No.
You have decided to bear the burden and pain, you will make his/her remaining days the most memorable and enjoyable. Hope is the only motivation for the terminally ill, and you have kept that hope alive.
But, you risk him/her leaving you without last words.
You do not know exactly what he/she wants for the remaining days.

Senior Member

normally terminally ill ppl will more or less know it... and most ppl who is very sick will think that they are dying when in fact they are not... unless the person is super duper optimistic...

simplest way, arrow the doctor, since the doctor is the one who have diagnosed the 'lifespan'... they are the one with the 'license' to say it best to them... of course... stay by their side just in case... arrange a nice cosy afternoon with doc and relative around.

It is the person's life, it is not your right to withhold that information. If a doctor knows that his patient has a terminal illness and does not inform that patient, he is in breach of his duty. On top of that, if he tells someone else other than the patient without the patient's consent to reveal that information, he is in breach of that patient's confidentiality and is liable for disciplinary action.

Deregistered

normally terminally ill ppl will more or less know it... and most ppl who is very sick will think that they are dying when in fact they are not... unless the person is super duper optimistic...

simplest way, arrow the doctor, since the doctor is the one who have diagnosed the 'lifespan'... they are the one with the 'license' to say it best to them... of course... stay by their side just in case... arrange a nice cosy afternoon with doc and relative around.

Yes, the patient will feel it but when they hear the confirmation from you, all hopes are dashed. They might loose the will to fight and that is worst thing to happen.
When all hopes are gone, things and situations will only turn for the worst at a faster pace.

Arrow the doctor? Most doctors I met do not show empathy.
You asked why and how is happened. Ans: It is like this, Max two months, perpare yrself.
This is personal experience at NCC.

New Member

Yes, the patient will feel it but when they hear the confirmation from you, all hopes are dashed. They might loose the will to fight and that is worst thing to happen.
When all hopes are gone, things and situations will only turn for the worst at a faster pace.

Arrow the doctor? Most doctors I met do not show empathy.
You asked why and how is happened. Ans: It is like this, Max two months, perpare yrself.
This is personal experience at NCC.

They are bound by medical ethics to tell. Their duty is to the patient first and not to the patient's relatives. Why do you assume that when they know that it automatically makes things worse? Why do you not give them an opportunity to put their matters in order and say their goodbyes?

Senior Member

Is the person is dignosed as terminal ill, that's mean s/he is likely to pass away soon, so lost will to fight doesn't change the destiny, only may hasten the pace only, but it may lighten their suffer also. Ask yourself, would you like to be informed or not? The person may have a better arrangement of finish what s/he whatever business before s/he left the world, instead of dying in regret, because by that time. s/he probably too weak to do anything already.

Senior Member

Yes, the patient will feel it but when they hear the confirmation from you, all hopes are dashed. They might loose the will to fight and that is worst thing to happen.
When all hopes are gone, things and situations will only turn for the worst at a faster pace.

Arrow the doctor? Most doctors I met do not show empathy.
You asked why and how is happened. Ans: It is like this, Max two months, perpare yrself.
This is personal experience at NCC.

Senior Member

They are bound by medical ethics to tell. Their duty is to the patient first and not to the patient's relatives. Why do you assume that when they know that it automatically makes things worse? Why do you not give them an opportunity to put their matters in order and say their goodbyes?

Its a cancer. Survival prediction is not a precise science. Would the doc err on the side of conservatism? Of course! What if he told a patient he had 2 years to go and the patient perished in 3 months? Much worse, don't you think? It is a best guess at most.

Senior Member

Its a cancer. Survival prediction is not a precise science. Would the doc err on the side of conservatism? Of course! What if he told a patient he had 2 years to go and the patient perished in 3 months? Much worse, don't you think? It is a best guess at most.

New Member

He/she deserved the right to know. As for when to reveal, it will be a tough call. Sometimes the patient will realise it themself. I am not in a position to advice you.

Just a sidenote, i recommend you to watch the japanese drama 'one litre of tears'. It is based on a true story about how this teenager fight against a denegerative disease she contracted. There's a part where her parents didnt know whether to tell her about the disease or not. Maybe after watching you might have a better picture of whether to tell or not to tell.

Senior Member

He/she deserved the right to know. As for when to reveal, it will be a tough call. Sometimes the patient will realise it themself. I am not in a position to advice you.

Just a sidenote, i recommend you to watch the japanese drama 'one litre of tears'. It is based on a true story about how this teenager fight against a denegerative disease she contracted. There's a part where her parents didnt know whether to tell her about the disease or not. Maybe after watching you might have a better picture of whether to tell or not to tell.

Yes, it is practised, but if we expect our physicians to abide by ethical conduct, they are not supposed to. How do the relatives know details about a patient's condition that even the patient does not know? BREACH of confidentiality. How many of you here are concerned about confidentiality of your personal information? If so, why do we not accord the terminally ill, regardless of age or status, with the same respect that we expect for ourselves?

Senior Member

Yes, it is practised, but if we expect our physicians to abide by ethical conduct, they are not supposed to. How do the relatives know details about a patient's condition that even the patient does not know? BREACH of confidentiality. How many of you here are concerned about confidentiality of your personal information? If so, why do we not accord the terminally ill, regardless of age or status, with the same respect that we expect for ourselves?

after going to both restructured and private hospital to stay... i think restructured doesn't have anything about privacy at all...

i was on the receiving end once, and i was really sick of this type of arrangement...

every morning, you are lying in bed, trying to sleep, then the docs do their rounds, then u see about 10+ people crowd round your bed... looking at you like specimens, then the senior doc will go, tis guy, xxx, come in with blah blah blah, then xxx and had tis, that, and today going to do tis that... and unless u are in A class single bedder, else u can kiss your privacy goodbye...